Systems and methods for thermal curing of water soluble polymers for silicon dominant anodes

Abstract

Systems and methods for thermal curing of water soluble polymers for silicon dominant anodes to improve the mechanical properties of the anode and electrochemical performance of a battery are provided.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of forming an electrode, the method comprising:
 creating an electrode coating layer from an electrode slurry comprising silicon and a polymer;   fabricating a battery electrode by coating the slurry on a current collector;   increasing a temperature applied to the slurry incrementally over a plurality of curing temperature targets;   maintaining each curing temperature target for a predetermined dwell time; and   increasing to a pyrolyzation temperature from the curing temperature target to yield a stable carbon matrix in a mechanically stable electrode structure.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of curing temperature targets is less than 300 degrees centigrade. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the pyrolyzation temperature is greater than 400 degrees centigrade. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein incrementally increasing the plurality of curing temperature targets comprises increasing a temperature applied to the anode to a first curing temperature target of the plurality of curing temperature targets by a first temperature ramp rate. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , further comprising increasing the temperature applied to the anode from the first curing temperature target to a second curing temperature target of the plurality of curing temperature targets by a second temperature ramp rate. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising increasing the temperature applied to the anode from the second curing temperature target to a third curing temperature target of the plurality of curing temperature targets by a third temperature ramp rate. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the first and second temperature ramp rates are the same. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the first temperature ramp rate is less than the second temperature ramp rate. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein maintaining each curing temperature target for the predetermined dwell time comprises the first curing temperature target for a first dwell time. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising maintaining the second curing temperature target for a second dwell time. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the first and second dwell times are the same. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the first dwell time is less than the second dwell time. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising maintaining the pyrolyzation temperature for a third dwell time. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the polymer is an aqueous-based polymer. 
     
     
         15 . A method of forming an electrode, the method comprising:
 creating an electrode coating layer from an electrode slurry comprising silicon and a polymer;   fabricating a battery electrode by coating the slurry on a current collector;   increasing temperature applied to the slurry to a first curing temperature target;   maintaining the first curing temperature target for a first dwell time;   increasing the temperature applied to the slurry to a second curing temperature target;   maintaining the second curing temperature target for a second dwell time; and   increasing the temperature applied to the slurry to a pyrolyzation temperature to yield a stable carbon matrix in a mechanically stable electrode structure.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein creating the electrode coating layer further comprises including a conductive additive. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the conductive additive comprises one or more of carbon black, graphite, graphene, carbon nanofibers, carbon microfibers, carbon nanotubes, porous carbons, one-dimensional carbon materials, two-dimensional carbon materials, or three-dimensional carbon materials. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein creating the electrode coating layer further comprises including a solvent selected from one or more of organic solvents, aqueous solvents, and organic-aqueous binary solvent systems. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the polymer comprises an aqueous-based polymer or a secondary polymer selected from a decomposable functional group including one or more of —OH, NH—, NH 2 , and —COOH at a relatively low temperature. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the temperature is applied from one or more energy delivery sources including a thermal energy source, an Ultra-Violet (UV), and chemical heating agent.